About the Project » Before the game went to overtime

Quinton Jefferson Color Rush Jersey , it came down to a moment for which the Seattle Seahawks have spent seemingly every waking moment since the end of the 2017 season preparing: Fourth & Goal at the opponent’s one yard, down by a touchdown. The Hawks had given the ball to running back Chris Carson on both second and third downs, and while there was still plenty of time for Seattle to score again if they got the ball back, the wet weather combined with a fired up San Francisco 49ers squad made a a touchdown crucial. The result was a play that is likely to stay in the highlight reels for a long time, as the 49ers defense appeared initially to have stopped Carson short of the end zone. But, Carson is big and strong and apparently didn’t feel like being tackled short of the end zone, so this is what happened. Just the effort to not get taken down short of the end zone in such a crucial moment is amazing, and it certainly shows how the 2017 seventh round selection appears to have cemented his starting role for Seattle going forward. He’s certainly not the fastest running back on the planet, but he’s smooth, agile and can make defenders miss, all while possessing the size and strength to also break tackles. So, while the data may certainly show that rushing is of little importance in the NFL, don’t even bother trying to tell me that Eddie Lacy or Thomas Rawls score on that play. They don’t, and it’s not even up for discussion. In any case, on Sunday Carson recorded his fourth 100 yard game of the season (and of his career), with 119 yards on 22 carries, with the one touchdown included. Those numbers push his season totals to 913 yards with 6 touchdowns and give him 188 yards on 35 carries in the two games against San Francisco this season. While Carson lacks the speed to present a home run threat, but defenses certainly have to account for the fact that he can pick up chunk yardage on any play as a result of his ability to break tackles and make defenders miss. However, in spite of Carson’s elusiveness and his position near the top of the league for running backs in YAC (Yards After Contact), something became readily apparent during the red zone possession on which Seattle tied the game: they were not going to run behind Ethan Pocic. Here’s the sequence of run calls once it was 1st & Goal:1st & Goal: Option left to Tyler Lockett2nd & Goal: Chris Carson over left guard3rd & Goal: Chris Carson over left guard4th & Goal: Chris Carson over left guardCertainly that is a small sample size, but over the course of the drive, here’s the running plays that Brian Schottenheimer called: 1st & 10 at the Sea 25: Chris Carson up the middle1st & 10 at the Sea 46: Chris Carson left guard (Jordan Simmons injured)And that’s when Pocic came into the game, at which point the playcalling became:2nd & 5 at the SF 49: Chris Carson left end1st & 10 at the SF 23: Mike Davis left end (Russell Wilson kept it to the right on the RO keeper2nd & 5 at the SF 18: Incomplete to Doug Baldwin3rd & 5 at the SF 18: Pass short left to Ed DicksonAnd then came four straight run plays Tom Johnson Color Rush Jersey , none of which went to the right side. Fourth quarter, with the game potentially hanging in the balance, and the running game had been reduced to half the field as a result of an injury at a single position. After Simmons left with what Pete Carroll referred to as a sprained knee, the Seahawks ran the ball 12 times for 59 yards, which is a respectable 4.9 yards per carry, but 26 of those yards came on the first play after Simmons left injured. Over the final 11 rushing attempts of the game, the Hawks managed just 33 yards, or three yards per carry. Now, Seattle did have a decent run by Mike Davis called back on a holding penalty, but that’s what happens when teams run the ball. In spite of the fact that there are more passing plays in the NFL than there are running plays, there are more holding penalties on running plays than passing plays. In any case, Week 15 is in the books, and it now falls to the Seahawks to attempt to clinch their playoff spot in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, though they will need help from the Tennessee Titans to clinch this week because the playoff hopes of the Washington Redskins have not been fully extinguished just yet. The Chiefs bring their high powered offense to town, and Patrick Mahomes is likely licking his lips thinking about facing the secondaries of the Seahawks and Oakland Raiders over the final two games of the season. So, we now know who will be in the NFC Championship game. For the Seattle Seahawks to be anything more than a Wild Card team, they need to improve their roster. Play-calling grievances aside, Seattle’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round ultimately highlighted a lack of overall talent. How many Seahawks position groups would you take over the Cowboys? Quarterback? Wide receiver? That’s about it really. And it’s not like Seattle is blessed with receiver depth behind Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. There’s been lots of “2018 feels like 2011 or 2012” talk. As early as July, Pete Carroll himself was feeling the comparisons to 2012. This past season certainly had a fun quality that was missing from recent years of Seahawks football. Desire, energy and growth were themes of the campaign. Seattle felt like they were back, or at least close to coming back. It was refreshing.Yet, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, a lack of experience but also lack of talent became apparent at crucial moments. The dearth of pass rushing ability and depth was obvious against Dallas. The better offenses showed the slow speed of the front seven. The defensive backfield ultimately suffered from a lack of range and savvy.The issue is that this coming offseason is hugely different to those that followed 2011 or 2012.For one Rasheem Green Color Rush Jersey , Russell Wilson is no longer on a rookie contract. The cheap first deal for a franchise player is a golden ticket for any general manager or head coach. In 2012 he made up 0.5% of the cap. In 2019, the 30-year-old accounts for 13.3%.Having had so much dead money last offseason, the Seahawks now having just $888,992 in dead money this offseason and $60,455,232 in projected cap space seems astronomically high. But that spending money soon looks rather paltry once you factor in the free agents that Seattle will want to re-sign.The front office will need to extend Frank Clark—pass rushers at his level and age must be paid. That deal may command over $18 million per year!K.J. Wright poses an uncomfortable question of durability, and the Seahawks would be forgiven for feeling wary of third contracts. Mychal Kendricks impressed in his playing time but may not be a free man by the 2019 season.Earl Thomas is unlikely to want a return to Seattle, but his prescient range helps the cornerbacks to play more confidently, and his Hall of Fame ability enables Pete Carroll to run bolder pass coverages.The offensive guard pairing of D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy helped the Seahawks run the football like they’ve always wanted to. Both are unrestricted free agents.Seattle will likely target pass rushers and several decent ones could be available. However, the days of finding two ludicrous bargains like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett are surely gone. The league appears to be valuing pressure rates and advanced metrics more highly now.With little maneuvering capital for free agency, one would expect the front office to focus on the draft. But John Schneider’s all-in 2017 has left the Seahawks devoid of any serious picks. At the time of writing, Seattle has: Round 1 Pick 21, Round 3 Pick 84, Round 4 Pick 116 and Round 5 Pick 148. This is less than ideal for a team that has a lot of areas that must be upgraded for them to take the next step. A typical first round trade back will surely happen from Schneider. Yet for him to attempt to fill the holes on this roster, numerous moves back are required.The previous class of 2018 offers hope for Schneider’s drafting abilities. It looks like an excellent haul after other recent drafts produced little. The needs for the Seahawks are so great right now though. They obviously depend on free agency activity and player development, but nearly every position on Seattle can be upgraded significantly.The challenge, then, of bettering the Seahawks is significant. It’s not fair to compare this coming offseason to 2011 or 2012, because what Schneider faces may be his greatest challenge yet. If he can succeed, he will fully deserve an Executive of the Year Award and Seattle will be real championship contenders. The issue is how tricky prospering in this self-inflicted climate is.